Pre-trip Planning > books, guides & backpacking

Whether you know exactly where you want to go or have no idea, the books recommended on this page are perfect for planning your trip and can save you a lot of time when on the ground. They are also a perfect source of inspiration and encouragement to get on the road. Not all the information will be useful, but a lot of it will, especially the maps and routes.

Learn more about the various different publishers of guidebooks: their strengths, weaknesses and general background.

» Read more reviews, get info and, of course, buy any book on this page. Remember the beauty of Amazon is that you can buy books for research and send them back when you are done or if they don't fit what you require.

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» Rough-Guides:

First-Time Around the World - Doug Lansky

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Highly Recommended

Newly updated third edition, this is an excellent title if you have no idea where to go. Lots of excellent suggested routes with estimated travel times, so you don't bite off more than you can chew. Covers the whole world, lots of good basic intro information a perfect place to start.

Third Edition - Published: (February, 2010)

The Rough Guide to First-Time Asia - Lucy Ridout

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Great intro and easy to read, completely ignores Burma (on ethical grounds). Still a favourite. Much more down to earth and readable than the Lonely planet version, but with less detail and no colour maps. Strongly recommend this book. It's very useful to plan a trip according to particular interests.

Third Edition - Published: (February, 2010)

The Rough Guide to First-Time Latin America - Polly Rodger

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

This is (as with all these planning guides) pretty good if you have no idea which part of the continent to visit. It gives you a brief overview of each country and important places to visit in each country. However, it does not give you details like the culture, transport, eating, etc. Once you finalise where to go, you will need to buy a separate guide book that give you these fine details.

Third Edition - Published: (February, 2010)

The Rough Guide to First-Time Africa - Various

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Second Edition - Published: (February, 2011)

First-Time Europe - Louis Casabianca

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or

A book kind of like this site, but based on Europe. Essential planning advice.

Eighth Edition - Published: (February, 2010)

» Lonely Planet:

The Read This First titles have now been discontinued by Lonely Planet, but since they are good planning sources with great overview maps and suggested routes, they have been kept on the site. They can still be found new and used if you look hard enough. Amazon often has copies for sale.

Need only some parts? - Download Chapters (Lonely Planet)

Read This First: India & Asia - Pete Cruttenden

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Out of print and harder to find, but cheap second-hand copies float around Amazon. This introduction to Asia & India provides a great checklist of things to do, once you have made the decision to go travelling in this part of the world. It advises, in a fantastically comprehensive manner (almost too much, I think), on visa requirements, purchase of tickets, route planning, choice of partner... get the picture. As with all these LP Read this first books, the second half of the guide provides 4-8 page summaries of each country describing places of interest, specific entry criteria, length of stay allowed, best time to travel etc. Each is a perfect read for deciding on whether or not to include in your route. It is as easy to read front to back, as it is to dip into a section at a time. The "Visa requirements" section within each country summary is particularly helpful in route planning, since you know the amount of time you have in each country (due to length of visa validity), the likelihood of obtaining an extension and the recommended entry point.

Read This First: Africa - Mary Fitzpatrick

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Out of print and harder to find, but cheap second-hand copies float around Amazon. Great intro and break down of the 'where to go' question in a continent of over 50 countries. This book gives a detailed description of how to go about planning any trip (regardless of continent), then describes the joys and problems of Africa (culture, health, etc). And THEN it provides a few pages describing each country - what's good to see, visa requirements, and so on. It even provides suggested itineraries, highlights and a map. Basically, it's what you need to know about a country in order for you to decide whether you research a place in depth or consign it to the "not going there" pile. It doesn't try to put you off, it just tells it to you straight, and allows you to make your own mind up.

Read This First: Central & South America - Conner Gorry

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Out of print and harder to find, but cheap second-hand copies float around Amazon. Rough Guide title is better. Too much common sense information.

Read This First: Europe - Paul Harding

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Out of print and harder to find, but cheap second-hand copies float around Amazon. With profiles of every country in Europe, this guide provides tips, anecdotes and advice on all aspects of travelling from budgeting to bargaining, plus sections on broader issues such as eco-tourism, local politics and lists of embassies, voluntary work associations and travel offices.

» Others:

Asia Overland - Mark Elliot

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Highly Recommended

Out of print and harder to find, but cheap second-hand copies float around Amazon. The bible of Asia overland travel. SE Asia sections now out of date (see update below), but rest still very good for off-the beaten track travel. Lots of hand drawn maps makes planning and finding real gems simplicity itself. Get this book even if seemingly completely out-of-date for some countries!

South East Asia: A Graphical Guide - Mark Elliot

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Highly Recommended

Out of print and harder to find, but cheap second-hand copies float around Amazon. An update of the above focusing on South East Asia. Many simple hand-drawn maps give you a snap shot view of highlights, travel times, transport options and hidden gems that Lonely Planeters will never find.

Vagabonding : An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel - Rolf Potts

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Aimed at long term travel. Anyone who has ever thought about travelling, this book will make you go! Anyone who has ever been travelling, this book will make you want to go again and anyone who is travelling whilst reading this, this book will make you that bit more adventurous when ordering food in a cafe where a squat toilet is another eating area! It's definitely a case of if he can do it then so can I!

The World Awaits - Paul E. Otteson

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

The World Awaits is your guide for planning an extended, independent, international journey. You'll get practical information on visa requirements, web addresses, phone numbers, and more. Organised in three parts sequentially matched to the entire travel experience, The World Awaits also examines issues of goals, passports, immunisations, packing, budgeting, tickets, route planning, and life on the road. With The World Awaits, you'll learn just how much travel can inspire, reveal, educate and transform. If I had to go for this or Vagabonding, I would take Vagabonding.

Before You Go: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Gap Year - Tom Griffiths

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Good motivator, neat layout with small chapters, same author as the virgin travellers guide.

Work Your Way Around the World - Susan Griffith

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

This is not a book to look for practical tips and actual addresses and phone numbers of employers, but for a more generalised perspective of working around the world. Griffith focuses on subjects and situations that require common sense and courage- these come from within you. The rest of it, whether working in olive groves in Greece or picking strawberries in Denmark, depends completely on luck and your own flexibility/perseverance. In reality finding work abroad comes from learning some of the language, changing jobs often and having the emergency financial means to escape bad situations if they arise. In summary this book does not provide masses of specific contact details, but gives you inspiration and a good overview of where to go, what to do and where to start. The Council on International Educational Exchange's Work, Study, and Travel Abroad: The Whole World Handbook is another good tool for finding work, both paid and volunteer. CIEE also publishes Volunteer! The Comprehensive Guide to Voluntary Service in the U.S. and Abroad.

The Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Photography - Richard l'Anson

Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)

Recommended

This book is the perfect accompaniment to basic knowledge. The book is well structured, well indexed and well written to it's easy to look things up quickly in the field. There are also masses of fantastic photographs that illustrate every technique and learning point. If you know what an aperture is and have a basic understanding of how that affects the light hitting the film/pixels in your camera then this book is highly recommended.

If you want to recommend a book or reckon that something has been left out, please get in touch.

"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Pre-trip Planning: Guides & Reading